Fender guide



Oct. 18, 1938 ED 2,133,871

FENDER GUIDE Filed Feb. 27, 1937 INVENT DAV/62 5P 0 I Wm-W Patented Oct.18, 1938 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE FENDER GUIDE Daniel E. Reed,Norwalk, Conn., assignor to Yankee Metal Products Corp., Norwalk, Conm,a corporation of New York Application February 27, 1937, Serial No.128,103 1 Claims. (01. arr-12c) This invention relates to devicesnormally attached to the front fenders of automobiles, trucks and thelike, to indicate the position of the car relative to other cars, curbs,poles, and the like; now popularly known as fender guides.

In particular it relates to an improved fastening structure for securingornamental indicating members to the top of. a standard. Such fenderguides have proven very advantageous and are now used very extensively.However, there has been a real disadvantage or shortcoming in the fenderguides heretofore provided because, so far as applicant is aware, noreal practical means has been provided to hold the ornamental indicatingmember upon the top of the standard in a really effective manner.Screwthreaded connections are ordinarily resorted to but due to theusual vibration or shaking of practically all automobiles the threadedconnection works loose and the ornament drops off and often becomeslost, usually necessitating the replacement of the complete fenderguide. Also, because the ornaments are usually very attractively made of"Catalin" and other unusual materials in a wide variety of interestingshapes and forms children very often pilfer or remove the ornament, thusrendering the fender guide unsatisfactory for use and necessitating acomplete replacement.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a structurefor holding the ornament of a fender guide on a standard so that itcannot shake loose and cannot be surreptitiously removed.

Features flowing from the attainment of this object include theprovision of a cupped and serrated washer upon the standard which may beforced into a bore in the ornament and be expanded therein to lock theornament relative to the standard. A complemental feature is theprovision of a yielding mechanism adapted to automatically compensatefor any wear which might occur between the locking member and theornament so that the device is sure to be fully effective throughout avery long period of time.

Another disadvantage inherent in most of the fender guides heretoforeproposed and used is that the ornament becomes loose upon the standardand twists or turns into improper and adverse positions upon thestandard so that it canobject of the present invention to provide afender guide in which the ornament will be maintained in the preferredposition upon the standard and in proper relation to the general shapeof the automobile.

5 A feature of the present invention meeting this objective is theprovision of a yielding structure between the standard and the ornamentadapted to frictionally hold the ornament in anydesired position, and todo this despite the fact that the 10 fender and car may be subjected tomuch shaking and vibration.

With many of the fender guides heretofore provided it is necessary touse special tools, such as pliers, monkey wrenches, or the like, inorder to 15 secure or look the ornament to the standard.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a fender guidein which no special tools are required to secure the ornament to thestandard.

this objective is the provision of a snap connection wherein it ismerely necessary to push an ornament upon the standard of the fenderguide.

20 A feature of the present invention related to Other objects, featuresand advantages will 25 appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete fender guide.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary exploded view in section 30 of the upper orornamental end of a fender guide. Fig. 3 is a view partly in section ofthe upper or ornamental end of the fender guide.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, disclosing the use of an insert.

3 Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the serrated washer provided by the presentinvention.

Before describing the present improvements and mode of operation thereofin detail it should be understood that the invention is not limited tothe details of construction and arrangement of parts shown in theaccompanying drawing, which is merely illustrative of the presentpreferred embodiments, since the invention is capable of otherembodiments, and the phraseology employed is for the purpose ofdescription and not of limitation.

Referring now in detail to the drawing the 50 present inventioncomprises a fender guide Ill including a base I I which may be securedto a fender I2 by a clamp i3, as shown in Fig. 1. A standard It in theform of a rod or tube is suitably supported upon the base II as by athreaded 55 Cal connection IE, or by welding or riveting if preferred.

Now, coming to the particularly novel aspects of the fender guide asprovided by the present invention, the standard I4 at its upper end, ispreferably provided with a reduced end or shank |6 above a shouldersection l1 and a coextensive nib 8. The shank l6 and shoulder support acoil spring i9. The-standard II and shank l6 also support a plungersleeve 20 as may be seen best in Figs. 2 and 3. A shoulder 2|, definingthe shank i6 from the nib l8, supports a cupped and slotted washer 22.

After the spring is and plunger sleeve 2|! are placed upon the shank l6the cupped and slotted washer 22 is placed upon the nib l8 and shoulder2| whereupon the end of the nib is mushroomed as by riveting to providea head 23 which will retain the washer upon the top end of the standardi4 between the shoulder 2| at the stop of the shank l6 and the head 23.The washer may be locked upon the shoulder 2| by the head 23 but ispreferably rotatable between the head 23 and shoulder 2|.

Fig. 6 discloses a plan view of the slotted washer 22 prior to its beingcupped and shaped as shown in Figs. 2 through 5, inclusive. The slottedsections of the washer in the form of fingers 26 provide a resiliency tothe washer and permit it to be forced into bores of smaller diameterthan it is. The cupped washer 22, after it is secured upon the standardI, overlies the sleeve 20 and spring I! to retain them upon the standardI at all times.

An ornament 30 of any suitable configuration, provided with a bore 32may be forced over the cupped washer 22, as seen best in Fig. 3whereupon the lower ends of the fingers 26 slide over the wall 33 of thebore 32 until the lower section of the ornament is pressed down on theface 34 of the sleeve 20 a sufficient extent to compress the spring i9somewhat. When downward pressure on the ornament is released the springi9 immediately forces the face 24 and ornament 33 upwardly whereupon thefingers 26 which are snug against the wall 33 are caused to bite or cutinto the wall 33 of the bore 32, as can be seen best in Fig. 3, tosecurely lock the ornament 30 to the standard ll.

Preferably the shoulder II and shank l6 entering bores l1 and 32 of thesleeve 20 and ornament 30 respectively are provided to better centralizethe ornament relative to the connection and to the standard H.

The yielding support 3| comprising the spring I! and sleeve 20 pressingagainst the underside of the ornament 30 and forcing the washer 22 intothe ornament 30 serves to frictionally re-' strain the ornament 3!] fromrotating upon the top of the standard I6, and thus maintains theornament 30 in the proper arcuate position at all times relative to thestandard I4 and relative to the general shape of the fender andautomobile. Furthermore, should the rattle, vibration or shaking of thecar cause wear between the fingers 22 and wall 33 of the bore 32 theyielding support 3| automatically moves the ornament 3|! upwardly tocompensate therefor and to spread the fingers 26 upwardly a greaterextent to a larger diameter and thus compensates for such wear.Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the device automaticallycompensates for any wear that may occur upon the fastening or hold-. ingstructure.

Figs. 4 and 5 disclose a slightly modified form of the present inventiondiffering from the forms just described only in the provision of a metalinsert 38 which may be in the form of a metal sleeve molded or otherwisesecured in an enlarged bore 39 of a "Bakelite, Catalin" or like ornament30'.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of thisinvention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a fender guide the combination of a standard; an ornament for thetop of said standard having a bore; a washer at the top of said standardadapted to be forced into said bore; and a yielding support upon saidstandard for moving said ornament relative to the washer.

2. In a fender guide the combination of a stan; dard; a shank upon saidstandard; a spring on said shank; a sleeve on said shank; a washer onsaid standard overlying said sleeve and spring; and an ornament having abore adapted to be forced over said washer and to be yieldingly held tothe latter by said spring and sleeve.

3. In a fender guide the combination of a standard; an ornament for thetop of said standard having a bore; expansible means at the top of saidstandard adapted to be forced into said bore; and a yielding supportupon said standard for moving said ornament relative to said expansiblemeans.

4. In a fender guide the combination of a standard; an ornament having abore with a wall; a cupped washer rotatably secured to the standard andhaving a force fit with the wall of said bore; and spring means forfrictionally maintaining said ornament in desired position upon saidstandard.

5. In a fender guide the combination of a standard; an ornament having abore with a wall; a shank on said standard; a shoulder on said standard;a spring on said shank and shoulder; a sleeve having a bore to receivesaid spring and shoulder; a shank on said sleeve entering the bore inthe ornament; and expansible means on said standard entering said borein the ornament and J gripping the wall of the bore in the ornament tofasten the ornament to the standard.

6. In a fender guide the combination of a standard; an ornament for thetop of said standard, having a bore with a wall; fingers on andextending downwardly and outwardly relative to said standard, adapted tobe forced upwardly into said bore; and spring means supported by saidstandard for urging said ornament upwardly to cause the fingers to biteinto the wall of the bore.

'7. In a fender guide the combination of a standard; an ornament forsaid standard and having a bore with a wall; a slidable connectingmember on the standard and in the bore; and yielding means on thestandard tending to retract the standard from said bore to spread theconnecting member into gripping engagement with the wall of the bore.

DANIEL E. REED.

